art

November 26, 2010

Thank you for the opportunity over the last week to share a few holiday offerings with you. My Cash Budget Pouch FREE SHIPPING! sale will be held through the end of the month, then I will be closing that shop for a time. I'm not quite sure how long exactly, but I wanted to let you know.

To answer your questions about the coloring pages (thanks to all of you who scooped one up for yourself!), yes, there will be more designs in the future. I love the idea of offering these! Likely however, it won't be until after the new year. I will report any news here!

Write to me in "notes to seller" upon checkout stating which third print I should include.

Okay, this should conclude my handmade holiday offerings... please know that I am truly grateful for each and every moment you all spend here. Whether you are a supporter of my work through purchase or words of encouragement, I value each and every drop of your appreciation. Your generosity amazes me.

November 24, 2010

This morning, I'd like to invite you all to join me over at Simple Homeschool. My inaugural post is up! I'm so excited about spending a little time there each month (or so). It just wouldn't be the same if you weren't there too, so... shall we head on over then?

{Oh! I forgot to mention (many of you visit from readers and do not see the sidebars), I'm excited to be offering a blank slate downloadable coloring page! How fun to add your own quote or poem. I do see more coloring pages of all varieties in the future, so fun!}

October 28, 2010

I don't think I've shown you this colorful lady. I imagine she lived in Paris in the 1930's. Such a hair do.

This is the first thing I drew, one year ago, when I took up drawing and painting. (Remember I gave myself a two week at home art retreat? Goodness, that idea was a moment of brilliance. I highly recommend an at home retreat of any kind to anyone.) So, this lady. She was deeply inspired by a drawing I had seen on Etsy (and cannot seem to find the artist now to link to). I sat staring at a similar image on my computer screen, pencil in hand, and attempted to recall everything I had been taught in my drawing classes from years ago. Look at the shapes, not the image. Negative space... draw what you don't see. Way back then, I didn't have much success with those concepts, age 37 was the age of discovery for me.

I couldn't believe it when she appeared on my page. Immediately, I went down to the art store and proceeded to lose myself in a world of prismacolor pens, buying only eight or so to work with at first. I sat in the car after my purchase, sketch pad in hand, while my husband ran into another store for something quick. I colored my first leaf green and felt it was the most beautiful color I'd ever seen. The way the ink gently pooled into the edges of the leaf nearly hypnotized me.

I've been drawing ever since. Painting has found it's way into my exploration as well. It's crazy to think only one year ago this discovery was made, it's such a part of who I am now, life without it seems so far away.

I've gone on to offer many of my drawings and paintings to the world, and they have been kindly received by many. Thank you.

Over the last several months, I have read numerous emails asking if I'd ever make "coloring pages" available... my drawings, black ink only, you fill in the rest. How fun! Well, today that is exactly what I have in store for you! A FREE printable coloring page that you may use to your heart's content...

Wouldn't this make a wonderful holiday gift? Colored by you, placed in a frame... art for a loved one... or five loved ones! I should warn you though, you'll want to pull out your pencil sharpener and tune up your colored pencils - I am rather fond of tiny, intricate designs.

I recommended printing this on high quality paper if you have it, cardstock or something similar.

I hope you enjoy this coloring page...

I read these words recently on the t-shirt of Emily's friend at her poetry group. They made me smile.

August 13, 2010

:: Finally completing what I was supposed to be working on when I succumbed to potholder distraction. (Thank you so much for your help by the way.) This new Cash Budget Pouch colorway will be available very soon.

:: Putting the final brush strokes on my first mandala. It took awhile, but it makes me feel happy and super relaxed at the same time, a feeling worth waiting for. It is also my first piece that fulfills my crazy desire to create and offer original artwork for under $100. I'm not sure why I am drawn to this idea, or how I came up with the amount... but for now, it's something that I just need to put out there. (A limited number of prints are being made too, available soon.)

Also, there is a lovely little sale at Under the Maple Tree for the next few days, buy any two prints get one free, in honor of _____________ (you decide!). I just woke up this morning and thought it was a fine idea!! Simply leave a note to me in the "message to seller" when checking out, tell me which third print you'd like, and three pieces of art will be on their way!

Tell me, what is happening in your studio this week? I'd love to see. I think this will be the last week I officially run this Summer Studio series, many of us are (reluctantly) winding down the season and bidding a temporary farewell to wide open spaces of creative time. It was wonderful to capture and share what we have been up to though, I really loved this little series. Thank you for being a part of it, care to play along one last time?

July 19, 2010

On Friday afternoon I slipped over to Etsy and took the steps necessary to open up a new shop, one in which all of my artful delights can be found. It feels like the right time to give this part of me a home of it's own. Under the Maple Tree came to be as that is where I am lucky enough to do most of my work each day, right under two of the most gorgeous maple trees living just outside my window. In addition to prints, I will be offering original art (playful, inspired offerings to come!), something new (hint... see photo above), and other delights that find their way through my heart and hands to the shelves of Under the Maple Tree.

I thought about going in a different direction, maybe something a little more grown up feeling like a big cartel shop... but I kept coming back to the idea of Etsy.

I believe in Etsy! For me, it's still the right place to be.

I read an interview years ago with Alanis Morissette in which she said, "like fingers to a hand, there are many parts to me." I felt so connected to that idea, then and now.

I dabble in a lot of things. It is who I am and who I've always been. In high school we were asked by our guidance counselors to choose a career path and start planning and working towards making it a reality. They were specific about it being a particular job, not an overall direction or field of interest. As my 15 year old peers confidently committed to future jobs such as nursing, teaching, flight attendant (it was the late 80's after all), I sat befuddled at the idea of choosing a single thing to strive for. In fact, the idea seemed ludicrous to me. I'm not a terribly scattered person (though some might disagree), it's just that like fingers to a hand, there are many parts to me, and each of those parts will always be swirling about one another making up the whole - and however the whole may look from the outside - when I stay true to the many facets of who I truly am, from the inside, it feels like bliss.

Balance is key and always something I'm paying attention to.

I hope you like today's photos... there's been quite a bit of beautiful, playful creating around here lately, although technically, I've been working on this idea since December! This morning I am thrilled to introduce you to my new Body Art Pendants; one of a kind, pretty little art pieces to be worn around your neck. The art images are high quality prints of original art work (original size, I did not shrink these but drew/painted them the size you see). The wood... oh, the wood. Adam and I worked together on this (mostly it was Adam), hand cutting, sanding, and finishing each unique, organically shaped piece. I so love these... and having this idea in the works since December has given me plenty of time to search Etsy and the like and I've (surprisingly) found nothing like it, so the idea feels like it just may be unique! Such a hard thing to accomplish in this vast, amazing world of handmade.

Goodness, I have been talking too much here... thank you to those who quietly found there way over to my shop this weekend and purchased prints, I was positively giddy as your orders came through! My sincerest gratitude to everyone who stops by here, says hello, and cheers me on each day. I never could have imagined three years (plus) ago when I hit publish for the first time that I would have grown in such new and creative directions. Growth is a beautiful thing.